Launching and landing station



April 16, 1929. J. s. FOX

LAUNCHING AND LANDING STATION Filed Sept. 27. 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet T@ EEEEEQEE Jumu4 SFUX h, EEEEEEE April 16, 1929. J. s. Fox

LAUNCHING AND LANDING STATION 2 sheets-sheer Filed Sept. 27, 1926 Patented Apr, 16, lil-m9.

UNITED STATES JULS S. FOX, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

LAUNCHING .AND

Application filed September my purpose -to construct a launching and landingl platform adjacent a building which latter is provided with a roofed central portion to receive the vehicle, such as an aeroplane, and which may be of the hydroplane type, and erect the platform that shall. be capable of swinging in a vertical plane to bring one end thereof in close proximity to the building and at different heights relative to it, while the opposite end of the plati form may be raised or loWera-bove or below the level of the particular floor of the building with which it is designed to be placed on a common level. when vehicles are tobe moved from one support to the other.

lt is an object of my invention to provide a building having a plurality of floors superposed and. one of the intermediate floors having a broad corridor extending the length of the building, one end of which communi- Cates with the street and the other with a transverse opening readily reached from the swinging platform, thus providing suitable relative positions of the stationary building and the movable launching and landing platform.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a lunching and landing station comprising a stationary building having a plurality of floors, one of which serves as a basement for entrance of employees and other persons to remove and classify pack age articles dropped from the upper floor at which the aerial vehicles have arrived, an intermediate floor for landing thereon, and an upper floor for oiices or other purposes for transportation and communication; and a platform adjacent the intermediate floor of the building and movable in a plurality of planes to swing the platform vertically, and also upon a vertical axis, to bring the platform into different positions relative to the landing floor of the building.

LANDING STATION.

27, 1926. Serial No. 137,892.

Driving means is provided to move the platform as required which may use different forms of power, though shown as using electric power for the purpose.

With these and other objects in view, I have` shown the structure and principle of operation of my invention by the description hereinafter included7 the claims appended, and the drawings in which the invention is illustrated, and in Whicl1- Figure 1 is a plan View of the launching and landing station; i

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the swinging platform and base, portions being broken olf; Y

Figure l1-A is a side elevation of one end of the platform; i

lfigure 5 is a side elevation of thebase for the platform, together with the actuating meaus for the platform;

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the base for the platform, and on a larger scale, bearings being shown in section;

Figure 7 is a plan View of the structure `appearing in F ig. 5;

Figure 8 'isa detail View of the actuating sector gear and its seem-ing means for attachment to the platform, and

Figure 9 is a rear view of the building,

showing the landing floor thereof, and the traveling crane mounted within the corridor above the vehicles.

The landing station comprises the main stationary building 5 having ya front entrance stairway 6 and a rear, open, launching and landing space 7 on the intermediate floor 8 which. is normally adjacentthe `eX- tended pier 9, at the outer end 10 of which is supported a scaffolding 11, upon which is supported the upright base 12 having a flat top piece 13 upon which rests an in verted dishshaped bearing part lll by which is rotatablymounted the movable platfijirm 15, the details of which will be described later. i Upon the bearing part or cap 14, are secured in spaced and parallel relation, approximately triangular plates 16 having outwardly-bent flanges 17 at their base edges, these flanges 17 being secured to the flat porn tion of the part 14 by means of bolts or other locking mechanism 1S. The apexes of the plates 1G are curved at their edges 19, and are provided with bearing apertures 20 to receive therein Van axis of a swinging structure bearing directly thereon theplatform 15. 4

termed the intermediate floor 8 of the building 5,r has broad` corridors or open space i extending the length of such building, the

rrear endof such space being shown espe- `This overhead .crane travels toward and from the pier 9, and serves to load or unload an aerial vehicle or even raise or lower the vehicle itself.

At either side of the Ymain corridor 7 of the floor 8, are narrow hallways 24 in unich arev provided stairways leading down to the basement 25 or up to the upper floors, and ifdesired, provided with the usual elevators for passengers or baggage. The relative arrangement of the building and the platform 15 I regard as important and is the result of special consideration of the advantages to be derived from their relation in forming a suitable station for aerial vehicles to yland safely and discharge their load, or to conveniently plantheir launching from the building'fout upon the platform 15 and finally travel in the usual Vmanner of aerial ascent. The particular arrangement of the stationary building and the base support of the platform 15 enables the use of any desirable starting mechanism on the main floor 8 atthe rear space 7, for the purpose of attaining desired speed ofthe propeller before .attempting flight, Vand even before traveling out on the platform 15 preparatory to aerial' flight. Also, any desirable barrier mechanism for use on the platform or building space 7 may readily be utilized for halting the vehicles in -a short distance when landing.

Parts 11 to 20 are constructed in a manner I to properly drive the platform 15 in a direcferent portions ofthe main lioor of the building 5, and the latter movement being designed to raise orlower either end of the platform l5 for purposes of launching or landing Purposes. v Y

The driving means for moving the platform'on a vertical axis comprises an annular gear26 having the edge driving teeth 27 The main, or what might accurately beV with which engage the pinion 28, itself driven by an endless chain 29, mounted. on the sprocket 30 fixed to a convenient frame part of the tower 12 and an opposite sprocket 31 mounted on a short shaft of an electric motor 32 supported upon a floor piece 33 secured to the frame of the tower beneath the part 14. 'lo provide proper mounting of the platform in this manner, the upper plate 13 has a central circular aperture 3-1 of sufficient size to receive therein the gear 26 with sufficient peripheral space about it. At the center of the bearin part 14 and upon the upper or outer surface thereof, is provided a hub part 35 within which is an axial and polygonal opening through which is passed and secured therein a correspondingly-shaped shaft 36 which is designed to extend down through the aperture 34and. se-

cured against relative rotation to the gear 2G, as by a spoke construction in thc gear 2G.

By such described mounting of parts, the driving of the gear 26 will rotate the part 11 and any structure carried thereby, as will be evident. To reduce friction between such rotating parts to a minimum, an aniiular flange 37 is provided upon the plate 13 and about the aperture 34, and havin f an upper annular raeeway 38 thereon an( an outer vertical surface 39 which guides the annular flange 4() of the cap 14. The interior or under surface of the cap 14, spaced `from the flange 40 has an annular ball race 41 which is brought into complementary relation with 38, when the flanges 37 and 40 are telescoped, as illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The usual bearing balls 42 are guided in the said races.

The platform 15 may be constructed for the movements mentioned for :uljustment, by spacing parallel side members 43 thereof by means of any suitable cross members, not shown in detail, because not. especially concerned in this invention. The members or walls 43 may su )ort therebetween a tread surface 44, of w uch a portion 45 may be provided with a relatively movable element 4G beneath which rotatably-mounted members 47 may be used to support the upper run of said moving element 4G. U )on the outer surfaces of the walls 43, and adjacent the lower edges of the latter intermediate the ends of the platform, are secured heavy plates 4S having a gear sector portion extending downward therefrom and integral therewith, the upper portion thereof having any desired form and having a convenient number of perforations therethrough to receive bolts or rods extending through the perforations of both plates 48 as well as through the members 43, so that the lates bearing the gear sectors thereon will be rigidly attached to the platform, whereby driving the gear sectors will oscillante the platform.

ln the approximate center of the plates 48 are bored relatively large apertures 49 which, when the platform is mounted upon the tower .in movable position, will be brought into alinement with the apertures 2O in the plates 16, after which an axial pin 50 is positioned through the apertures 20 and 49, which pin receives the weight of the platform 15 thereon and permits the oscillation of the same on said horizontal pin 50. Mounted on the plate 14- are spaced motors 53 having on their shafts 51, pinions 52 which engage the sectors of the plates 48 for driving the latter, the two plates, respecH tively. The rocking of the plates 48, therefore, upon the pin 50, together with the attached platform 15, oscillates the latter. Upon the plate 14, therefore, is mounted the entire structure of the platform and its support and driving mechanism, and whose detailed character does not especially concern the invention herein claimed. The only essential structure I contemplate, is the mounting of the driving motors 53 upon the rotatable plate 14 for rocking the parallel walls 43, and the mounting of the motor 32 upon the tower 12 for driving the cap member 14 with its entire load carried thereon.

Many details of the construction have more or less bearing upon the intended function of the entire mechanism, but though shown and described in this application, are considered conveiltional in their importance per se, but are Aimportant in their use combincd with `the structures here brought together in a new and useful arrangement for accomplishing new functions. At the ends of the platform 15, are provided landing extremities 55 comprising thin and wedgeshaped plates whose lower surfaces are in clined upwardly toward the ends thereof. Also, the upper edges of the side walls 43 of the platform are extended upwardly at 5G thronghou t the greater portion of the intermediate distance between the inclined ends 55, above the tread to serve as a guide rail or safety ledge. It is also to be noted that the central dotted-line partition of the space below the corridor on the main floor 8, is designed to apply only to the partitioning of such space in the basement 25. The third or higher floors above the main floor 8 may be used for offices for any desired purposes, and is shown only diagran'nnatically in these drawings.

lt is te be understood that my invention is by no means intended to be limited to the use of such combined station building 5 and platform 15 adjacent thereto, upon any particular ground foundation therefor, though it will often be found advisable to construct the building 5 with a main floor 8 fully one story above the level of the ground. This j'novides ojiportunity for lowering the outer end of the platform 15 to at least the con resjionding distance. As illustrated in Fig. 2, the platform 15 is shown as having a tower 12 substantially on a level with the floor 8, and the said view is readily adaptF able to use where the pier 9 and such tower 12 is -built over and above a water surface as (SO. lint this particular use for hydroplanes is only sugg alive, and need not be made use of in gaining the advantages of the invention, for the pier and related parts may overhang dry ground or an artificial floor of conventional character as well.

Having thus described my invention what l claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of lthe United States is as follows- 1. A. launching and landing station com prising a building having on one floor a broad corridor opening directly outwardly, an elongated platform pivoted in a plurality of planes, upon a support spaced from said opening to bring one end of the 'platform closely adjacent the corridor floor in one of its positions, and a traveling crane mounted upon ledges of the side walls Aadjacent the ceiling of said floor, for travel toward and from the outer opening.

2. A launching and landing station comprising a building and a movable platform having a supporting base continuous with and extending outward from said building, the main floor of the building having an outer opening facing the platform and an oppositely-positioned entrance means, an upright frame mounted on theextreme end of said base, and power-driven mechanism on said frame for actuating said platform for i'novement in. at least one plane, the fulcrum of said. movement being directly over said upright frame.

3. A launching and landing station comjn'ising a building and an elongated 1novable platform spaced therefrom, the platform having a supporting pier which is continuous with and extends outward from said building, an upright supporting base mounted upon the end of the pier farthest from the building, power-driven mecha nisni` on said base supporting said platform for swinging the platform on said base in a vertical plane, and actuating the platform in said swinging movement, so that when in a horizontal position, one end of the platform will be closely adjacent the main floor of the building, said main floor having an open space opening outwali'dly and facing said platform, whereby an aerial vehicle may readily launch frein said space in the building outwardly upon the platform and then from the latter in aerial flight.

4. In an aerial station, a building having at least three, super-posed stories, the main or second story having a broad, open floor space opening outwardly in a direction opposite from the street upon which the build- I ing faces, and having sidehallways, partitioned from said broad space, and leading to the floors above andbelow said main floor, a basement floor lhaving entrance openings laterally tothe main ground surface, the said main floor being equipped With traveling cranes for loading and unloading aerial vehicles on said main floor, in combination with a swinging platform mounted rear- Wardly from said building and so spaced from the latter that it may be moved upon its foundation to bring one end thereof into close proximity to said main floor of the building, and power-driven mechanism upon said foundation for actuating said platform in its swinging movement.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 21st day of September, 1926.

JULIUS S. FOX. 

